LEÓN, Guanajuato, July 27, 2025.- Costa Rica made a strong start in Pool A of the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup, sweeping Suriname 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-18) at the Domo de la Feria in León.
Suriname came out firing, taking an early 11-5 lead in the opening set behind the unstoppable scoring of middle blocker Shomantla De Graven. Costa Rica remained patient, rallying to tie the score at 18 and capitalizing on Suriname’s 11 unforced errors to secure the set.
The Central American side built a comfortable lead in the second set (18-10) and maintained control to close the match in straight sets.
Costa Rica held a 36-29 advantage in kills and led 8-4 in aces, while Suriname was stronger at the net with an 8-4 edge in blocks. Costa Rica also benefited from 27 errors by Suriname, while committing 15 of their own.
Costa Rica’s opposite hitter Ivanny Sey Blackwood topped all scorers with 14 points, all on kills. Outside hitter Cailynn Griffith led Suriname with 9 points.
Costa Rica (1-0) will face the Dominican Republic (0-1) next, while Suriname (0-1) will meet the United States (1-0).
Kareem Richards, head coach of Costa Rica, said after the match, “The first set was normal because the first match is always tough, and Suriname was able to follow the game plan they had prepared. What I want to highlight is my team’s ability to bounce back and then finish the match in a calmer way.”
Miguel Misidjang, head coach of Suriname, reflected “We were winning at the beginning of the game and then we started making unforced errors that killed the game. The players stopped believing in themselves, but still, I am proud of the girls. I know we can come out and play better in the next games”.
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